Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108 Page 109 Page 110 Page 111 Page 11238 www.seed.ab.ca | Advancing Seed in Alberta According to Mathieu, this type of seed is “getting to be a global thing that will continue to build in response to consumer demands. “We’re also being asked to upgrade a lot of farmers’ products before they go to market,” says Mathieu. “Where we used to clean the 400 bushels needed to seed a quarter section, in a lot of cases we’re now cleaning 10,000 bushels harvested from that quarter section so producers can get a better price for it.” Of course, doing more and doing it better requires cutting edge equipment, something Mathieu knows all about. “Our SEA-CHROME optical colour sorter is an unbelievable machine. It’s computer-based with a high-resolution camera that sorts every seed optically. Sure, you can keep piling equipment on top of each other to improve speed, but to get speed and quality in one machine is really something,” says Mathieu. Their USC Seed Treater is another notable addition, allowing them to strengthen a part of their operation that had been lag- ging over the last 10-15 years. Crunchable Numbers The new facility boasts some impressive numbers: rough seed capacity of 12,000 with screening and clean seed capacity of 20,000 each. Although it represents a good start, Mathieu and his team are far from finished. “In phase two we plan to increase our bulk storage capacity to 120,000 bushels over the next few years so we can retail seed for companies.” Another area for growth is the seed treatment end of the busi- ness. “We want to get more of that market. Right now we only treat 15 per cent of the seed we clean while the provincial average is 60 per cent. In light of the various diseases around today, we are encouraging people to treat their seed, whether they do that at home or with us.” Mathieu hopes many customers will choose his plant for seed treating rather than the do-it-yourself approach because of the high quality system he has in place. “With all the different chemicals out there, proper application of seed treatment is essential. In the past you didn’t have to apply the treatment very well; you just had to get a speck on the seed. Nowadays, you have to apply it to the whole seed and it is way better for the environment.” Through all the changes, Mathieu said one thing remains: “Our niche is, and always will be, that we do what others don’t want to do. We are one of the few plants that still bags and the only one I know of that does grass seed.” Change is never easy, but Mathieu hopes the overhaul will give the Enchant Seed Cleaning Plant a new lease on life. Like a facelift, the possibilities are intriguing once the wrinkles are ironed out. Geoff Geddes Alberta Wheat Commission is a proud sponsor of the Wheat Regional Variety Trials As a major research funder, Alberta Wheat Commission ensures Alberta’s farmers’ needs are met through genetic and agronomic technology advancements that support better efficiency and increased profitability. Visit albertawheat.com to learn more about our research program and all AWC funded research projects. AC Cardale Consistent Yields & Protein Less Sprouting* & Weathering Best Fusarium Performance Semi Dwarf Faster Harvest Speeds Easier Straw Management *Better Falling Numbers Working Hard to Earn Your Trust Seed Depot is pleased to partner with its dealers to offer free seed to local grain growing projects.